


Klaroline, Interrupted

by Eliliyah



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Flirting, Office Humor, Rehab, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:20:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22552399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliliyah/pseuds/Eliliyah
Summary: Drabble Update: "The Great Internet War of 2020." Klaroline romantic comedy drabble series that all take place in the same universe in which Klaus and Caroline run an upscale rehab where insanity is the norm and unresolved sexual tension their only medicine.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 49





	1. The Demons Down Under the Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [UppityBitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UppityBitch/gifts).



A/N Hey guys! Welcome to my new drabble series. These will all take place in the same universe as Chapter 16 from, "It Would Be Impossible Not to Notice You." I'd love to hear your thoughts on these two wacky lovebirds. Written for Klaroline Valentine's Day Bingo, 2020. Prompt: "We loved with a love that was more than love."

* * *

**The Demons Down Under the Sea**

" _But our love it was stronger by far than the love of those who were older than we; of many far wiser than we, and neither the angels in Heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee."_ – Edgar Allen Poe

As Dr. Klaus Mikaelson stared at the Earl Grey staining his plush white carpet, he silently questioned every decision he'd ever made. He was not amused. Caroline Forbes was the Director of Operations at White Oak Retreat and she was _pissed_. As her boss, and Clinical Director of the posh Palm Beach rehab, she should have had more respect than to slam his office door open and startle him half to death. She didn't. He'd known she was a spitfire after they'd hit it off after a convention on Dialectical Behavior Therapy. _Un_ fortunately, he hadn't planned on being so stupidly smitten with her that he'd stand there listening to her rant while tea ruined his perfectly good office floor.

"You're seriously going to just stand there and _not do anything_?!" she shouted, waving her arms emphatically.

The 35-year-old psychologist pinched the bridge of his nose and perched on the edge of his massive handcrafted desk. "What would you have me do, love?" he asked, exasperated. "Would you feel better if I replaced the pilfered perfume?"

The vivacious blonde scoffed, placing her hands on her hips as she continued her tirade. "The perfume was hers, thanks. It was the hairspray that belonged to Vickie, and no, we are _not_ replacing it! This is yet _another_ incident thanks to your loser brother."

Klaus rolled his eyes. They'd been over this before. "Finn does his best. He's simply misguided."

"He's simply _stupid_ ," she shot back venomously. "Elena Gilbert almost _died_ last night because of that idiot's negligence."

The director stood up straight and stepped towards her. "Elena Gilbert almost _died_ because she drank a bottle of perfume and chased it with a bottle of hairspray," he said seriously as he held her gaze, the heat in his eyes burning her straight to the core as she flashed back to the weekend following that convention. "She made a decision for which she alone bears the responsibility. My _brother_ is not to blame for _her_ poor choices."

"Oh, what-the-fuck-ever, _Doctor_ Mikaelson," she snapped, rolling her eyes. "Elena is _institutionalized_ because she makes poor choices. She's in here because she's so bulimic she can't survive without someone sitting with her for an hour after she eats. We know _her_ judgment sucks. It's our job to _protect_ her; to keep her from being _able_ to do stupid things. All Finn had to do was search the girl's bags when they came back from pass. It's not rocket science. He's _lazy_. That's what he is. He's lazy and our patient got hurt because of it. Fire him, Klaus." Before her boss could protest, so held up her freshly manicured index finger and pointed it at him threateningly. "Family or not, he deserves it. We're lucky she's used to throwing up or she wouldn't have come back from the hospital."

Klaus dramatically dropped his eyes to stare at her crimson nail, making her blush when she realized she'd been poking him in the chest. He smirked when she had the good sense to take a step back and couldn't resist taking a step forward. She gulped at his predatory gaze and bumped into the light blue walls of his oceanside office. He placed one palm against the wall just beside her head and leaned in so closely that she could smell his Bulgari body wash. "Any other demands, Caroline?" he asked quietly, the r in her name rolling off his tongue. The things he could do with that tongue... "We both know how agreeable I can be when you ask me nicely," he teased, reminding them both of the time she'd begged him for it. It was the one and only occasion on which she'd done as he'd said, and he had indeed been _very_ agreeable. In retrospect, it was probably because he'd had her tied to the bedpost at the time.

The brilliant and blonde operations manager loved working with her one-time lover, but it made the one-time thing hard... among other things on which she had that effect... because it _definitely_ had to _stay_ a one-time thing. Yes, he was inconveniently sexy, but he was also her boss. Sort of. The best, and worst, part of her day was storming into his office at least once to scream at him. He was brilliant with the patients. He understood the madness within. _They_ loved him. The staff? Not so much. Caroline was the only one he'd never sent crying from his office. It was rare that she left without the answer she wanted. Unfortunately, he was fiercely protective of his family. She got along well with most of his siblings, save Rebekah, who was better known as Barbie Bitch, but Finn was a constant thorn in her side. If Klaus was playing the sexual attraction card, she may as well give up. He was the only man she'd ever met that could leave her tongue tied with just a glance. A smoldering glance with ocean blue eyes that went on for miles, but still. When he looked at her like that, all rational thought was swept away with the tide rolling outside his balcony.

When she was the first to avert her eyes, he knew he had her beat. Smirking, he took a step back. He walked over to his reverse osmosis water purifier and filled a glass for her. She took a sip and glared at him menacingly. "You are not cute," she lied, narrowing her eyes at him.

The director flashed her his adorable dimples and shrugged. "And you're not firing my brother," he obnoxiously replied in his silky British accent that drove her to distraction day in and day out. He smiled at her and opened the door to his office. "So, unless there's anything else..." he trailed off, gesturing out into the hallway.

Regaining her composure, she kicked it shut with the back of her stiletto. "Yeah, there's something else," she countered aggressively, "and don't even try it with the flirting again," she warned him, pointing her index finger in his direction. "Seriously. This is important."

Klaus smiled again, amused. Whatever it was, he'd probably give it to her when she looked at him like he was dinner. He knew all about what she liked in her mouth... He crossed the room to his luxurious desk chair and leaned back, gesturing for her to take a seat across from him. "What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

Caroline eyed him suspiciously before sitting down. Sometimes their power dynamic shifted so rapidly it gave her whiplash. She sipped her water again to buy herself some time to compose herself. Klaus and his stupid dimples. So not fair. She set down the glass and straightened her spine. "You can refer out Damon Salvatore," she said authoritatively.

The handsome psychologist groaned and leaned back in his chair to stare at the ceiling. "He's here on a court order. If I refer him out, he's facing prison. Before you start," he said, sitting upright and holding up a hand to halt the tirade he knew was coming, "no, I don't think he's a particularly good person, nor do I agree with the way he's manipulating Elena, but she plays a role, too. She's an adult. While we all know her decision _are_ terrible, they are _hers_ to make."

"He isn't just _manipulating_ her," the 28-year-old spat, shooting the doctor a withering look. "It's like he has some sort of evil mind control thing going on. It isn't normal."

The sandy-blonde haired man rolled his eyes, something he'd picked up from his one-time lover. "He's hardly a magician, love. She's borderline and he's-"

"A predator," she finished for him with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her silky blue button-down blouse rode down just enough for the black lace of her bra to peek out, taunting him. "And spare me the diagnostics. Antisocial personality or not, he's a creep and I want him gone."

Klaus looked at her, his expression blank as his patience waned. "Caroline, sweetheart, if I referred out everyone you didn't like, I'd go out of business."

The young director had the good sense to pause and reflect on his words. He was a legitimate genius. He'd gotten his PsyD from Tulane at 23 and quickly risen as a leader in the field. She was a former beauty queen who'd had to fight tooth and nail to be taken seriously. He tilted his head to the side and gazed at her softly. She reluctantly met his eye and uncrossed her arms, leaning forward to rest her elbow on his desk, cradling her porcelain cheek on her palm. Klaus had always taken her seriously, had never questioned her intellect, had never doubted her talents. As much as she disagreed with him, which was often, she knew he was forever on her side.

"Am I really that bad?" she asked with a sigh.

That was a loaded question. He examined her carefully as he pondered how to respond. The way his eyes kept falling to her lingerie wasn't lost on her keen eye. It made her blush knowing how badly he wanted her, but it made her heart warm that he respected her enough not to push it... at least, not too much. He loved to push and prod, but he knew when to stop. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his abdomen, the navy-blue cotton of his Henley perfectly molded to his toned muscles she tried _so_ hard not to think about. He was the only doctor she knew that could pull off jeans and Henleys while still commanding the respect of both his staff and their patients. He exuded confidence and pheromones, although she liked to lie and say he was just cocky.

Klaus eyed her speculatively before finally replying, "You haven't taken a vacation in over a year."

"I have responsibilities-"

"You have an overdeveloped _sense_ of responsibility stemming from your childhood spent caring for an ailing father and mentally ill mother," he observed as professionally as he could when he wanted to clear off his desk and show her all that life had to offer. She looked away but didn't deny it. Her mother had been unwell for as long as her daughter could remember. Caroline had grown up cleaning up her messes while her father suffered from a neurodegenerative disorder that had taken him from the world far too early. Their relationship had been rocky at times, but she'd let him go with no regrets. The best part of Klaus' offer had been that it was far, far from Mystic Falls and her hopelessly dramatic mother and hellcat of a boss. "The sun will rise without you telling it when to shine," he said sagely, earning him a brief glance as she leaned back in her chair and let down her long blonde curls with the pull of a well-placed bobby pin.

She exhaled loudly and ran her fingers through her hair. "What's your recommendation, doc?" she asked as her ego deflated. He was right. She was an epic control freak who sublimated her inner turmoil with stress cleaning and Cherry Garcia ice cream straight from the carton. When she started to lose her cool, a pint of Ben and Jerry's mysteriously appeared on her desk. It was Klaus' covert way of telling her to take the rest of the day off. Days off didn't exist in her world. She was constantly on call and had little to no social life beyond the office. The one and only time a date had come to take her to lunch, Klaus had nearly broken the man's wrist when they shook hands. He was fiercely protective of her, too. His overt feelings for her were hard to ignore, and sometimes, she didn't want to.

"There's an EMDR workshop in New Orleans next month," he began carefully as he gauged her reaction. "You've long since run out of excuses for why you aren't using your clinical license. You've wanted your certification for ages. I'll have no problem handing over the trauma department once you have it. Take a week off and come with me and leave your Galaxy behind. You need a break from this place. Your team runs like a well-oiled machine. The patients will be fine."

Caroline narrowed her eyes at her boss. "You already booked the tickets, didn't you?"

A sly smirk spread across his face, his dimples hiding behind his ever-present stubble. "I might have," he replied evasively with a shrug. His features blossomed into a Cheshire cat grin at the accusation behind blue eyes. "Alright, so I did," he confessed with a chuckle. "Consider your tuition and accommodations part of your benefits package."

Before she could tell him what to do with his package, there was a loud commotion in the hall followed by a banging on Klaus' office door. He shot out of his chair, strode purposefully to the door and yanked it open, his annoyance at the interruption barely contained within his lean and muscular frame. Finn stormed in holding a pair of bloody pliers. "It wasn't my fault," he spat rapidly when he saw the death glare coming his way from the Director of Operations. It wasn't a secret she wanted him gone and had for a long time.

"What happened?" she demanded, eyes shooting past him to the young girl sobbing at the end of the hallway.

"Damon ripped out his molars so he could go to the dentist and get hydrocodone," Finn answered in a rush.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Caroline exclaimed with a grimace. "How the hell did he get in the maintenance shed? Didn't you check the freaking locks on your rounds?!"

"He's a career thief," the older Mikaelson sibling defended himself. "He must have picked the lock."

"It's a biometric lock, you bloody idiot," Klaus interjected before his favorite employee could tackle his brother. "Find an emergency oral surgeon and go with him. If they give him a script, rip it up and bring him back with ibuprofen."

" _Seriously?!_ " the young blonde shrieked incredulously as Finn bolted down the hall, blood dripping on the plush carpet. "You're still letting him-"

" _Not now,_ " the director gritted out between clenched teeth as he cocked his head towards the young woman tearfully approaching them.

"You can't kick Damon out, Dr. Mikaelson," Elena Gilbert cried, chest heaving hysterically. "He was impulsive and reckless because that's who he is, but I know he's sorry. Just give him a chance to apologize," she begged pathetically, tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, please," Caroline snorted, rolling her eyes. "There isn't an apology in the _world_ that encompasses all the reasons he's _wrong_ for you."

"You don't understand," she whined. "He's been a terrible person and he's made all the wrong choices, but I love him! I love him, Caroline. I love him," she sobbed as she began hyperventilating. "He loves me, too. I know he does. He's selfish, I know, but he's always loved me, even when I was dating his brother. We loved with a love that was more than love." Her words trailed off as she suddenly buried her face in Klaus' chest. He looked at the blonde with wide eyes, silently pleading with her to get the crazed brunette off of him.

Caroline released a long-suffering sigh as she pulled Elena away and guided her down the hall to the psychiatrist's office. "Come on, Annabel Lee. Let's go see Dr. Bennett. I'm sure she's got some quetiapine stashed in a drawer somewhere."

It was with a groan that the doctor closed the door, leaving him alone to ponder the choices that had led him to this moment. Sedating Elena Gilbert with a heavy dose of antipsychotics was the best idea he'd heard all day. He sat down behind his desk and stared out the glass sliding doors of his balcony at the waves crashing against the burning sand. Part of him really didn't know why he didn't pack up and leave all these crazy people and their infinite self-imposed drama behind. He was fabulously wealthy and had the means to travel the world discovering great cities, and art, and music, and he could have all of it. Of course, that meant leaving a certain blonde behind.

Klaus sighed when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. The psychologist reluctantly pulled it out, dreading what fresh hell was unfolding on the floors below. He felt his spirits lift considerably as he read the text on the touchscreen. It was from her. A smirk curled his upper lip as an entirely new set of plans began to form in his mind as he read her message over and over. Caroline alone had the power to make his heart pound in his chest with four small words.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

A/N Please let me know what you think! The next installment will feature a very special guest straight from our very own KC Fandom. Stay tuned!


	2. Return to the Mothertrailer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline deals with the bitch from marketing.

A/N Written for Klaroline Valentine's Day Bingo, 2020. Prompt: "Whipped Cream." Bonus points if you can guess the inspiration for Jules!

* * *

**Return to The Mothertrailer**

"I can't even with this bitch right now," Caroline groaned as she slammed Klaus' door behind her. She was the Director of Operations at White Oak Retreat, an upscale dual diagnosis treatment facility on a barrier island off the coast of south Florida, also known as 'God's Waiting Room.' The vibrant blonde 28-year-old closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the door, inhaling deep breaths as she composed herself.

Klaus grinned and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at his favorite employee. He'd poached her from her old job when he'd opened White Oak three years ago as the Clinical Director. They had a love-hate relationship. He loved provoking her... and she hated how she didn't hate him for it. The psychologist had been enthralled by her since they'd spent a weekend together after meeting at a conference six months before he hired her as his second in command. He tilted his head to the side and leaned back in his luxurious leather office chair behind what she called the "most extra desk to ever be extra." He'd constructed it himself out of a blade from a politically significant military helicopter. The whole project had cost more than her apartment, which was saying something in Palm Beach County, the land plagued by an infestation of snowbirds with more money than sense.

Biting back a smile, the doctor replied just a little too cheerily, "I take it you've met with Jules."

Caroline opened her eyes just enough to glare daggers at him. "You think?" she snapped venomously. She visibly huffed through her nostrils as she stomped petulantly to his desk. She felt her ears redden when she eyed a stack of brochures like they'd personally offended her. Clamping her lips shut to suppress a shrill scream that, even muffled, left his ears ringing, she dramatically sent them flying off the desk with a sweep of her hand. When he narrowed his cerulean eyes just enough to scare off anyone but her, she defiantly plopped herself down where they had been, and crossed her arms and legs with a humph.

Had she been anyone else, Klaus would have either thrown her out of his office or off his balcony overlooking the Atlantic. Fortunately for the steaming Director, he was completely smitten with her and managed only a menacing stare. "Don't start," she warned him before he could even open his mouth. Sitting up straight, he pressed his lips together and looked at her expectantly, silently letting her know his patience was wearing thin. Her favorite part of working for him was her unique ability to annoy him and get away with it, but the slight tightening of his jaw told her that it was time to stop pushing. She liked approaching the line, not crossing it. After he'd administratively discharged one of her borderlines, she'd gone too far and yelled at him in front of her staff. That had not ended well for her. Without a word, he'd marched her by the back of her tailored suit jacket to his office where he'd vividly reminded her that he was her boss... and how enjoyable following his orders could be. She'd left the building breathless and blushing. He'd gone home to take a cold shower.

As much as Caroline wanted more than a _verbal_ tongue lashing, she constantly forced herself to keep her distance. Well, she did her best to emotionally distance herself, anyway. As they sat there staring at each other, she was acutely aware that her Manolos were dangling just inches from his lap as he watched her intently, mentally daring her to keep testing him. Her shoulders slumped with a sigh as she rested her palms against the edge of his ridiculous desk. "I'm sorry," she said shyly, her eyes cast downwards at her designer sandals. "It's just... you know how much she gets to me."

Placated for the moment, Klaus leaned back in his chair and raked his gaze up and down her perfect curves. With papers already scattered around the room, he could imagine just how easy it would be to clear off his desk and _really_ cheer her up, but he always managed to restrain himself out of respect for the strong and brilliant woman before him. He wanted her, that much he made clear, but not enough to lose her. "I know she does, love," he replied as kindly as he could before adding firmly, "but she gets to you because you're choosing to let her. As much as I enjoy your ire, storming in here and throwing a temper tantrum is not acceptable for a woman in your position. I expect that kind of thing from the patients, not from you."

Caroline felt her face burning at his admonishment because she knew he was right. Their relationship was complicated. His loyalty to her was unwavering, but as her boss, he did have to reign her in from time to time. He knew how to choose his battles with his staff, so it was rare that he really came down on her. When he did, she hated it more than she cared to admit. Few things in life were worse than the disappointment she saw in his eyes when she tentatively peeked up at him from beneath her long lashes. She took a deep breath and blew it out before slowly nodding her agreement. "I know. It won't happen again."

"Good," he replied with a nod. "See to it that it doesn't, or we'll have to have a serious conversation about consequences for such behavior. You know how highly I think of you, sweetheart, but you can't keep carrying the world on your shoulders. If you need me to handle marketing, you need only ask." When she looked at him like that, so open, so honest, so vulnerable, he would lay down the world at her feet if only she'd let him. "The roosters will wake the farmers even if you fall asleep with the horses," he added shrewdly.

Caroline was a Licensed Mental Health Counselor herself and was all too aware of the affect her boss had on her. The heat behind his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking drove her to madness, but the concern etched in every line upon his face was proof he'd stand by her another day. Half of her wanted to run out the door. The other wanted to run to him. That was the part that scared the hell out of her. She sighed as she mulled it over. "No, I can do it," she finally decided, letting down her golden curls so she could run her fingers through them tiredly. "She's just so fucking uppity," she deflected before he saw the chink in her armor. "I can't stand it."

The doctor leaned forward to tuck a stray tendril behind her ear, internally sighing when she briefly closed her eyes and involuntarily leaned into his touch as he softly caressed her temple with the pad of his thumb. In a world full of mental illness, he often wondered if he was the crazy one for keeping her so close when she was so far away. When she looked at him with her sparkling sapphire eyes, he smiled with his dimples before pulling away. Perhaps that distance wasn't so great, after all. Even if she was, it was worth the wait. However long it took. "Would you like to tell me about it?" he asked in a tone that told her he truly did want to know.

She couldn't help but return his smile. No matter how much she pushed him away, he was always there waiting. Sometimes, it was hard to tell who was really in charge. "There's a comma splice on the inside panel of the new tri-fold brochures," she said flatly.

"Fucking Christ," he groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Right?!" she quipped. "Like, seriously, Jules? Do we have to make a federal case out of a fucking punctuation mark?"

"Well, you know why she obsesses over them," he reminded her for the millionth time.

Caroline rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. She's a middle child and hates it when things are stuck in between where they shouldn't be. Whatever."

"Do try and have a little sympathy," he chided with as much compassion as he could muster.

She looked at him blankly, clearly unamused. "Says the guy who signed her up for the dessert of the month club at TooJay's."

The psychologist leaned forward in his chair and pointed at with an accusatory finger. "That gift was anonymous," he replied defensively.

"Really, Klaus?" she asked, shaking her head. "She just _happened_ to get a massive cheesecake delivered to her office the day after she commandeered your parking spot?"

"She has a giant dog. A flashy Miata is hardly an appropriate vehicle for her endless road trips," he replied with a huff that she couldn't help but find inconveniently adorable. Yep. She was nuttier than a fruit basket and Klaus Mikaelson was to blame.

"Alright, she's a total troll, but Dante is a sweetheart," she conceded with a childlike happiness as she thought about who clearly _was_ the boss in _that_ relationship. Dante had been training her for years and it was abundantly clear that he would continue to do so. "Pretty sure riding with the top down when they return to the mothertrailer is his sole joy in life."

"That and the cheesecakes," he replied with a wicked grin. "How fortunate for our marketing executive that her dog was there to prevent a relapse."

Caroline burst out laughing at the mischief dancing behind his topaz eyes. "I don't know about that," she wheezed once her chest stopped heaving. "Remember when the kitchen called you screaming that someone stole all nine cans of whipped cream?"

"As if I could forget," he grumbled. "Rebekah had a field day with her 'Dangers of Inhalants' power point that entire month. I've never had to block so many AMAs in my life."

"Ok, well pissing off Barbie Bitch may be that shewolf's crowning achievement," she giggled as she recalled the blank faces of the patients as they emerged from the group from hell. "Jules took a week of emergency PTO after that."

"And came back ten pounds heavier," he reminisced fondly. "I've never seen anyone with quite so little restraint when it comes to dessert. I offered to pay to send her to an eating disorder program, but she insisted that cheesecake and pizza are her only downfalls."

"Ok, well I know she's avoiding pizza ever since a slice of greasy pepperoni dripped all over one of her weird folky artifacts."

"Folk _lore_ , Caroline," he corrected her. "Christ, I made the mistake of asking about one of her statues and she droned on and on about tribal matrilineal folklore for over an hour. I broke down and texted Kol to pull the fire alarm to keep from bursting my eardrums with her plentiful supply of q-tips." The woman had a fascination with Biblical ear sanitation that he would never understand. Plus, there was her weird plastic straw collection.

"Right," she chuckled. "She wanted to major in anthropology or something but decided to sell her soul to Corporate America instead."

"I suppose the Miata doesn't pay for itself," he laughed, whatever composure he had left going out the window as they both doubled over.

"Ohmigod, I can't believe I let her get to me like that. Fuck," she finally managed to spit out when the pain in her sides subsided. "I really need that vacation."

"How fortunate that we leave tomorrow," he replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows. A charged moment passed between them as they flashed back to the last conference they'd attended together... and the very _un_ professional days that had followed. Frowning, he added cautiously, "Although, I should probably tell you something about our reservations, and it may be a deal breaker."

Suddenly suspicious, Caroline sat up straight, narrowing her eyes at him. She knew that faux apologetic expression and wasn't falling for it. He was up to something and she knew it. "And what might that be?" she asked bluntly, which only made his smile that much more infuriating.

Her boss held her fiery gaze when he answered, "The hotel overbooked. The only thing available is the penthouse. Sorry, love, but it appears we'll be sharing a space." Caroline gulped but couldn't find it in her to protest. Penthouses had to have two bedrooms, right? So what if they had to share a bathroom? It wasn't like she'd be doing anything in the shower she wouldn't want him to hear...

Klaus leaned back in his chair and smirked at the way she subconsciously rubbed her thighs together. This was going to be the best week ever.

* * *

Please let me know what you think!


	3. Thank You for All That You Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline loses her shit over an email. Klaus, being a rational man, throws her phone out the window.

I'm pretty sure nobody reads this, but it's how I vent my frustration, so it stays. <3

* * *

**Thank You for All That You Do**

The hardest part of working with mental illness was combating incompetence. Caroline hated her life. She was at the end of her rope. If someone sent her one more ludicrous email full of the same passive aggressive shit, she was going to end up as a patient herself because she was pretty sure rampant, unchecked alcoholism was better than the steaming pile of illiterate garbage clogging up her inbox.

Klaus eyed her speculatively from his shiny black Porsche 911 Carrera. Her crystal blue eyes were glued to her Galaxy, as usual. They were _supposed_ to be on vacation from their jobs as the Directors of White Oak Retreat, the concierge rehab he'd bought a few years prior to hiring her to run the Operations department. Well, they were scheduled to attend a weeklong convention on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a highly efficacious treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The pissed off blonde was, in his humble opinion, wasting her talents in clinical operations when she should have been running the trauma department. He'd sweet talked her into taking some time off after his sister's latest temper tantrum.

" _WHY_ can't people just read the damn words on the screen?!" she groaned in a voice that was nearly a shout.

The handsome British man rolled his eyes. "Sweetheart, we've not even left the island and already you're back at the office. You have staff to handle these things. You have to let them do their jobs."

"' _IF_ ," Rebekah! It says _If,"_ she yelled at the phone as though it could hear her. " _If_ means after you approve. Jesus fucking Christ. How much clearer would you like me to be?!"

"The tea will steep if you let go of the bag, love," the doctor said sagely to his favorite employee.

"Klaus, shut up. I'm almost finished," she snapped as she furiously typed out a response to his sister's latest list of complaints. "I just have to finish this memo."

The psychologist felt his irritation growing with every tap of the screen. "Caroline, if you sign one more email with, 'Thank you for all that you do,' I swear to God, I'll spank you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Just give me a minute." He rolled his eyes as she rambled, her voice almost a whine. " _Why_ can't Beks just send a fucking email to the scheduling girl when she needs to move things around?! No, that would just make my life too easy. Now we have fucking Elena screaming because her stupid facial got pushed back a couple days because your braindead sister double booked the appointment. I swear to God, if she moves it back the way it was, I'll fucking scream. I am so _sick_ of everybody bending over backwards to help Elena Gilbert when all she does is throw a tantrum if she's not in group with Damon bloody Salvatore. That guy is-"

Klaus never found out what that guy was because he ripped the phone out of her hand and threw it off the bridge and into the intracoastal waterway. The brilliant blonde's jaw dropped as she stared at him in horror. "What the fuck, Klaus! I need my phone! Go back to the office! I'll get another one from the-"

The squeal of metal on asphalt derailed her tirade when her boss suddenly slammed on the brakes, rapidly pulling off to the side of route one. "You will do no such thing," he said firmly, turning to her in his seat, his muscular forearm draped over the steering wheel in a way that was unfairly attractive when he was scolding her. She opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her by pressing a finger to her soft lips. It was barely a whisper of skin on skin, but that combined with the fire in his eyes had her heart beating erratically in her chest in an entirely different way than it had been pounding in irritation at his sister's utter lack of critical thinking skills.

"I'm talking now," he warned her with a stern gaze as he pulled his hand away, leaving a trail of flames in his wake. The things he could do with those fingers...

Nodding minutely, she whispered, "Ok."

"You're not at White Oak right now, Caroline, and yet your mind is not in this car." He was right. She was anywhere but here. She sighed, knowing what he was going to say before he even had time to say it.

"Is it because you're so addicted to your job that you truly cannot separate, or because we're alone for the first time in forever and you don't want to face how you really feel about me?"

Wow. That was not what she had been expecting. Her mouth fell open, but she clamped it back shut, flabbergasted. "You'd do well to answer me, love." His tone carried the gravity of his desire for her to answer him honestly. The fire in his eyes bore into her and while she couldn't tear her face away, she couldn't find the words, either. Frowning, he shifted into first and pulled back onto the road.

Klaus flicked her a sideways gaze and she found herself blushing. He wanted her. That much she knew; but she wanted him, too. He was right. She didn't want to face it, had been avoiding it for a long time. It appeared their games had come to an end. He was done playing. "This is something you're going to have to deal with, sweetheart." His tone was clipped as he gnawed at the inside of his cheek.

That woman was going to be the death of him.


	4. The Great Internet War of 2020

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Marcel get into a war. On the internet. Caroline is not amused.

A/N God, I have had such writer's block the last couple of months. A lot of what follows is part of why. This actually isn't based on my career, but on a server I volunteer on doing Android Support (and a bajillion other things). I just want to qualify that there's no sexual tension within that workplace, nor has there been with anyone I've worked with in the field, but I mean, it's Klaroline, so we'll just have to pretend. Writing is how I sublimate my pain by turning it into romantic comedy. :)

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**The Great Internet War of 2020**

**March, 2020**

By the time they'd arrived in New Orleans, the tension had lifted, and they were back to business as usual. Well, at least they were back to _next_ to normal. "Normal" in their world was a relative term that changed from day to day with dizzying fluidity.

"Seriously?!" Caroline shrieked when they arrived for orientation only to find a giant sign on the conference room door. "What the fuck do they mean they cancelled the training due to the coronavirus?!"

Klaus bit back a grin as his dimples came out to play beneath his harsh stubble. "I think they mean the convention is cancelled due to the coronavirus."

"You're not funny," she snapped, glaring at him and crossing her arms over her chest angrily. "It's not the goddamn Spanish flu. This thing isn't ripping through a tiny town in Monterrey and leaving the entire village dead."

The doctor couldn't help but smirk at her ire as he walked behind her while she stomped up the stairs to their penthouse suite. "It's not exactly the Zaire ebolavirus. I'll give you that."

The Director of Operations opened their door with an app on her phone and petulantly kicked it shut behind them. "No, it isn't. The minute somebody says, 'hemorrhagic fever,' I'll head for the hills."

"I'll join you. We can go to Tibet. It's supposed to be very peaceful." Bleeding out and dying from hypovolemic shock was not how the middle Mikaelson child wanted to go.

"Don't start with me with the hippie dippie bullshit. You sound just like Bonnie when you get all 'Mother Earth' on me. If I have to hear about the power of channeling the spirits one more time, I'll puke." She flipped off her shoes and flopped down on the giant plush sofa. He sat down beside her so closely that the warmth from his muscular frame seeped into her skin. Throwing her head back against the cushions, she stared up at the crystal chandelier. "Now what are we supposed to do?"

Klaus turned to face her, tucking one leg beneath him, the tips of his fingers grazing the back of her neck beneath her messy bun. She opened one lid to look at him and the heated glance he was sending her way gave her chills. "I'm sure we can think of something."

The blonde woman gulped, the tightness in her lower belly usually present in his company morphing into butterflies she could feel flitting to her fingers and toes. "I need a drink."

That wasn't what he had in mind, but it was a good start.

**July, 2020**

Four months later, Caroline rued the day she'd ever gotten in that car. At the time, they'd had no way of knowing that the governor was going to shut down the state border before their week in New Orleans ended. In retrospect, she should have seen it coming. Leave it to Florida to actually object to wearing masks. Fucking morons. True, she and Klaus were probably better off in Louisiana, but that did little to curb her ire at her boss-turned-roommate. After a month in the hotel, the psychologist rented them a two-bedroom penthouse in the French Quarter. It made sense to share a space since she didn't share his financial resources, but it didn't help the growing temptation to give in to their magnetic sexual attraction.

Of course, it was easier to resist his advances when she wanted to wring his neck. With nowhere to go but their living room, Klaus had gotten himself involved in a war. On the internet. With his former best friend and Vice President. As soon as it became apparent that the owner of White Oak Treatment Center wouldn't be going back to most humiliating county in America anytime soon, Marcel Gerard had made a grab for power. Being the dominant alpha male that he was, Klaus hadn't taken kindly to the other man's attempts to take the empire he had built. He'd fired him via group chat and banned him from the property.

That should have been the end of it, and it would have been, if not for Camille O'Connell. She wasn't just Klaus' close friend: she was his lead therapist. She also suffered from incredibly low self-esteem and sought approval from any man who flashed her a smile, and Marcel was nothing if not a charismatic manipulator. He allegedly had PTSD, but Caroline cared very little about his past; it wasn't an excuse to be an asshole. Despite knowing better, he had Cami firmly spun in a web of utter nonsense.

Klaus and Marcel had been going back and forth for months. The former VP bought out a treatment center, albeit a comically unsuccessful one with the ridiculously pretentious name The Neighborhood, for the sole purpose of annoying his former boss. Unfortunately for the doctor, he had none of his protégé's people skills. He was taciturn and unsociable, but loyal to the small few who generally stood aside and let him run things as he saw fit. Caroline also had a very dominant personality, although she'd had that role forced upon her by life. Her boss was born to be a leader, and a successful one. His downfall was that he had no tolerance for insubordination, and while he was brilliant with the patients, he'd been known to stoop to their level of passive aggressive immaturity. It had earned him the nickname The Hybrid: smart enough to be the owner; crazy enough to be the patient.

Despite her own alpha tendencies, Caroline found that she was alright with Klaus' calling the shots. She'd learned to trust him when his instincts proved correct time and time again. However, she was still bossy and neurotic, and she was never one to keep her mouth shut when she didn't agree with him. Which was often. At the end of the day, he took her opinions into consideration, but ultimately did whatever he wanted to do. She would grit her teeth, flash her beauty queen smile, and force herself to remember that there was far more good about her job than bad.

Caroline loved what she did. Human behavior was a puzzle she loved to solve. After spending years in Operations, she'd finally accepted Klaus' long-standing offer to put her clinical license to use and took over the trauma department when Marcel left, although she'd turned down the role of VP and firmly suggested he _never_ have one of those again. Cami had been in charge of the family program, but since Marcel got fired, she'd been pawning more and more of her responsibilities off on Caroline. There were days she deeply regretted attending their EMDR conference via Zoom. Dealing with Finn was a pain in the ass, but at least then she wasn't privy to all the drama of upper management.

Klaus had a tendency to play it pretty close to the vest. His favorite employee had risen through the ranks fairly quickly, but it wasn't until she became an executive that she realized how much of a disaster the hierarchy really was under Marcel's reign. She was immensely grateful that most of what had gone down was before her time, but dealing with the fallout was driving her to madness. The former VP was as petty as he was underqualified.

Caroline walked into their living room and flopped down beside her boss on the couch, immediately draping her arm over her eyes as her head fell back against the plush cushions. "What asinine stunt has he pulled today?" she asked tiredly, already exhausted even though it was only 10:00am. She'd been up all night tossing and turning after Marcel posted a meme suggesting their marketing director go kill herself on Instagram. It wasn't funny anymore, if it ever had been.

Klaus gazed at her in his peripheral vision. It bothered him how she treated the entire thing like it was a ridiculous joke. She was of the opinion that he should just let the whole thing go, but that was hard to do when his face had become a meme plastered all over The Neighborhood's social media. Not only had Marcel left as petulantly as possible, but he'd taken half the staff with him. Why Cami hadn't gone along was anybody's guess; it was clear she was still seeing him behind her boss's back. He turned a blind eye because they had history and she had been instrumental in building the business, but Caroline was quickly running out of patience as to why that was a good enough reason to keep her around.

"Did they litter the parking lot with memes of us again?" she asked nervously, worrying her lower lip. After Klaus signed up The Neighborhood's entire subdomain for several dozen mailing lists for male enhancement products, their former employees had taken to spamming everyone's cars with photoshopped images of Klaus and Caroline making out all over the office. She was livid, but his sole regret was that the photos were doctored. Marcel was the ringleader, but his little minions were far worse than he was, at least until last night. Diego, a former nurse, had spiked all the chocolate cakes with laxatives on his way out the door. Caroline wasn't sorry she'd missed that.

Of course, Klaus could never just leave well enough alone. He'd changed his writing style and written some horrible fanfiction under Marcel's name and "accidentally" uploaded it to The Neighborhood's shared drive. _Fifty Shades of Treatment Plans_ had quickly gone viral, much to it's fake author's dismay as it was literal shit. After that, Thierry, a former IT lead, had hacked Caroline's Galaxy and planted a very active Tinder profile, knowing Klaus would inevitably find it. He'd been livid; she'd rolled her eyes and rooted a Xiaomi. With a custom OS, it wasn't hard to keep her digital world hidden. From there, it had devolved into a world of fuckery that had the blonde in a downward spiral. Her mother had spent the better part of Caroline's childhood trying to kill herself. That meme had taken it too far. Sure, the victim of the meme had laughed it off, but the blonde had spent the night questioning her life decisions that led her to that moment.

Long minutes passed in tense silence as she waited for his latest revelation. His voice was icy, expression stone, when he finally filled her in. "Adrian's company phone pinged last night at O'Shae's."

"Fuck." It was a single word, but it spoke volumes. Adrian was a team lead in her old department, hired by Cami. Caroline had never trusted him, but that wasn't enough for Klaus to go against his old friend. She'd been waiting for his treachery to be revealed, and the day had come. The Irish bar in downtown West Palm Beach was Marcel's domain. There was only one reason Adrian could possibly have been there. "How much did he get out of the shared drives?"

"Not a lot," Klaus informed her with a dejected sigh as he furiously tapped away at his keyboard. "I had android support pull his messages. He actually went there to ask Marcel _not_ to do anything for a few days." The smartest executive among them was Josh, the new head of IT. He was a valuable asset because he knew how to fly under the radar. He was the only one among them who'd successfully managed to avoid all the drama. He mostly just wanted to tinker with bots and spend time with his family. He got the information and got out.

"Why would he do that?" she asked, confused as she curled her legs beneath her to finally face him, although his topaz eyes remained locked on the screen.

"Apparently, he was trying to coerce Jules into doing the marketing for his Twitch." When his employee burst out laughing, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. The uppity director of marketing was a bitch with a sugar obsession, but she was brilliant and loyal. "As you can imagine, she didn't appreciate his attempts to poach her."

Caroline could barely contain the mirth dancing behind her sparkling sapphire eyes, her words tinged in amusement. "Did you already send a cheesecake, or should I do it?"

"I sent three," he replied distractedly. "Other than that, he got a couple of treatment plans, but nothing crucial."

"But more than he would have if you'd listened to me when I said not to promote him in the first place," she spat back, irritation clear in her tone as she glared at him, the levity of Adrian's ridiculous scheme gone. "For somebody who's been stabbed in the back as much as you have, I'd think you'd be more careful."

"It's a fine line between caution and paranoia, sweetheart." Caroline narrowed her eyes at him but didn't say anything. Between an evil ex and a mother who was batshit insane, she personally felt she'd hit her lifetime quota of drama by the time she finished grad school. There were times she really didn't know why she stayed at White Oak. When he finally closed the laptop and turned to her, taking her hand in his and rubbing gentle circles on her palm, she remembered. He leaned forward and tucked a messy tendril behind her ear. "The squirrel will find the nut if you leave it on the tree," he said sagely. She briefly closed her eyes as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Not everything is in our control, and not even you can predict the future."

Caroline pulled back, forcing herself not to meet his gaze; she knew the disappointment she would see reflected there. They'd been fighting off their attraction for months, and had been close to giving in on several occasions, but now was not the time to be weak. A king was only as strong as his queen, and she had to either make him see reason, or she had to go. It was a heavy realization, but this latest betrayal was the tipping point. "I can't keep doing this," she whispered softly, gazing down at her hands fiddling in her lap.

Klaus groaned and dragged his palms down his gruff stubble. Company morale was at an all time low, and it didn't help that he was slowly losing the trust of the few executives remaining at his side after everything. It had started out as some what of a game, but it had slowly been devolving to all out war. On the internet. After the suicide meme, he'd gotten a call from Bonnie. Caroline had called her in tears. For the first time in years, she'd broken down and taken a prescription for an anxiolytic.

Times were getting desperate, and emergency does not read the law. "We have the upper hand, sweetheart." Her face fell when she looked up and saw his trademark smirk. A sense of dread filled her with foreboding. "I have a plan."

"Do I even want to know?"

With a smug smile, he informed her, "Marcel will be returning to White Oak on Monday."

" _What?!"_ She was on her feet in an instant, fists clenched at her sides as her eyes bugged out of her head in utter disbelief. "What the actual fuck, Klaus! Have you completely lost your mind?"

The smile immediately fell off his handsome face; the temperature of the room dropped when he got to his feet, his sweet breath puffing against her cheek. "You'd do well to remember who is the boss here, love." His eyes bore into hers, but she pulled her gaze away and just shook her head in shock. Seeing her crestfallen expression, he reached out to stroke her arm, bristling when she recoiled and took a step back. "Do you trust me?"

Caroline looked over and saw the steel behind his eyes and knew it was a lost cause. "I always have."

"That's not an answer," he pointed out shrewdly. "Do you trust me now?"

Dodging the question, she shot back, "What do you hope to gain here?"

"I expect this war to stop."

"By making a deal with the devil?"

Klaus rolled his eyes at her theatrics. "Marcel is hardly the devil, sweetheart. He may have been the ringleader, but his minions were far worse."

"You sound just like Cami," she spat in disgust. "Is that who you were on the phone with all last night?" The doctor gritted his teeth, patience waning at the accusation in her tone. "It was, wasn't it?"

"And what of it?" he asked defensively. "She's been with me since the beginning. We wouldn't be where we are if not for her."

"Oh, that's for damn sure."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean, Caroline?" He took a step forward; she took one back, crossing her arms over her chest as the New Orleans sunshine warmed her back as it streamed in through the sliding glass doors of their balcony.

"It means you lose your rationality when it comes to her." Long moments passed at they stood there staring at each other, each waiting for the other to make a move. "Look, Klaus, Cami is a good person, ok? No one is doubting that. But she's an idiot. The reality is that she goes back to him despite how many people he's hurt, and she justifies it by saying he has PTSD. Well, so do a lot of people, but they don't go around taking it out on others."

"You want me to get rid of her." It wasn't a question, just a truth they both knew. He'd known it for a while, but she'd never voiced it aloud. "Admit it."

The therapist scoffed and tossed her arms out at her side, shrugging. "Having her here hasn't worked. Our team is falling apart. Look how many we've already lost. Jackson was the best of all of us, but he left the last time you let Marcel back on the property."

"I asked him to come back."

"Yeah, and he said _no._ And why wouldn't he? He was targeted as much as any of us. He was tired of it. If you'd listened to him, maybe things would be different, but you don't listen to anyone, do you? Except for _her._ "

Klaus smirked and took another step forward. "So, that's what this is about? Surely, you must know the way I feel for her and the way I feel, and _have_ felt, for you are entirely different."

Dodging his hand as he moved to tuck a curl behind her ear, she crossed the apartment, heading towards her bedroom. "No, Klaus, this isn't me being jealous. This is about a pointless war _on the internet_ that we have been _losing._ "

"And this is our chance to win!" he shouted, beginning to lose his cool. "If I'm our leader, why do you question me? Don't you trust me?" He gulped when she didn't answer. "Marcel is not the enemy. He was once my friend. The worst of them, Diego, Thierry, they will stay away if he tells them to. Sometimes, you just have to play the game."

"That's the problem. White Oak is not a _game._ You've been treating it like one, and it has gotten us to this point." He glared at her, hands on hips, but said nothing. Caroline closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath. He was her boss, but he was also a person, and she knew a thing or two about human behavior. Klaus was a dominant alpha male. Shouting back at him would do her no good; it would just widen the rift between them. "We are not on a battlefield with men coming at us with guns. These are cowardly people on the internet coming into our server and emails. Their weapons are nothing more than words and memes. They can be shut down entirely by ignoring them, and by _not engaging_. If they escalate to the point of genuine threats and harassment, we can take legal action. If they show up on property, we can have them arrested."

"And you believe that will solve anything? Really, Caroline? You don't think having him arrested will just make things worse?"

"My belief as a _professional_ who has helped thousands of people deal with similar situations of far greater magnitude is that they will grow weary of being ignored and move on to a new target that will continue the games we have played for _months_. They want attention, and by giving them that, we are losing, and we will continue to lose until we change _our_ behavior." When his glare intensified, she felt tears spring to her eyes. Spinning on her heel, she retreated to her bedroom and locked the door.

As soon as her sobs subsided, she pulled out her phone and started a group chat with the rest of the executive team. It broke her heart, but after talking with Bonnie, Jules and Stefan, she knew she needed to make a decision. If it didn't stop, they would all have to leave. They were all in agreement that Cami needed to go. It was a horrible thing to do, asking her to leave, but there was no other way. As long as she stayed, she would continue trying to fix what was broken.

To her surprise, her phone pinged. Klaus had created a group chat to discuss the situation. They all went back and forth, but the doctor kept insisting he was right and they shouldn't question them. Finally, all three women gave him their ultimatum. Stefan was the first to respond.

"I agree everything has come too far. And I understand personal lives/jobs/work are being affected, which to me is unacceptable. It's been a rough couple of months with people making threats/stupid moves/insults and it's high time it's stopped. I'm willing to do whatever I have to in order to ensure all of you feel safe here, whether that means making a stand against Cami, blocking whoever, or anything else you guys need. I fully understand the dilemma you're all facing and also understand telling someone to commit suicide is never, ever something that should be done. I'm sorry this has happened to you, Jules, and I'm sorry we didn't take care of the demons the first time around. I'd like to offer you all a chance to fix this. Without the three of you, there is no staff. Klaus knows that if we have to scramble to find more people right now, we would NEVER find three people as dedicated and as qualified as the three of you. Again, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry this has happened. I'm willing not to one line, not to back down, not to walk away, but to help you guys fix what has been broken since you all arrived. I know it wasn't apparent when you guys all took your positions, but it's slowly become more and more of a problem. I, as much as anyone else here, would love to solve it. I'm willing to cut ties with everyone, no second chances, no looking back. Let's make this right."

Caroline's eyes watered, and she knew better than to think she was the only one. Stefan and Klaus had been close for years. He was also there from day one. Caroline hadn't come until months after everything was up and running. Jules had been around, but it was only recently that she'd gotten dragged into the fire. Bonnie was an overachiever with a heart as big as her brain, but she wasn't built for this kind of drama. Having Stefan take a stand was a huge step in the right direction. For the first time since she'd heard Marcel was coming back, she had hope. Klaus didn't respond, so she spent the better part of the night writing out her response.

"Klaus, you are, and have always been, our leader. Our final course of action falls to you. You have our support, but we need yours as well. We need you to be strong enough to tell them no. Yes, those of us who will leave can be replaced, but the reality is that no one will stay under these conditions. The people in this chat have been, and will continue to be, loyal to you to the end, but that means there needs to _be_ an end. How we proceed on behalf of not only ourselves, but our patients, is your decision. The situation is not what it was when Marcel was in charge. No one is questioning your leadership or trying to take control of your empire. You are the king, but heavy is the head that wears the crown. I ask you not only as your Executive, but as your friend, to take into consideration all that we, your family, have said before you make that decision. Proverbs 24:6 - 'For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors, there is safety.'"

Caroline immediately got several individual texts from Jules, Bonnie and Stefan, but Klaus didn't respond. His response didn't come until the next afternoon, by which time, she was a total wreck. She hadn't slept, and when she did, she dreamed of monsters who couldn't be vanquished. She didn't talk about it a lot, but she'd been through hell herself. Between a crazy mother and an abusive ex, she just wanted it to stop, because maybe, just _maybe,_ if she could get rid of Marcel, her own personal lambs would stop screaming.

Jules, in pure Jules fashion, made a meme of a cat hiding behind a chair that made it look like Hannibal Lecter, over scored with the words, "Well Caroline, have the lambs stopped screaming?" Despite the horror of the situation, she burst out laughing. Jules had a dark sense of humor, but it worked to her advantage. After years in mental health, they'd all learned the only way to survive was to laugh... even when it was entirely inappropriate. Especially when it was entirely inappropriate.

True to form, Stefan wrote back that his kids had filled his bathtub with Orbeez. He tried pouring a pound of salt in the tub to shrink them, but it hadn't helped. She demanded a picture, which he of course refused, to which she responded that it was fake news. After he finished feeding his baby, he sent them a picture of the most hilarious bathtub any of them had ever seen. He suggested opening the drain to just take his chances, but Jules immediately sent an OOF emoji and strongly advised him not to do that. Minutes later, he sent a picture of a large trash bag sagging under the weight of the colorful tiny liquid-filled balls. Leave it to her friends to make her laugh when the world was on fire.

Klaus finally responded to the group text by asking if someone wanted to write a termination letter to Cami. They all knew it would fall to Caroline, but she tried very hard to pawn it off on Bonnie. It didn't work. Instead, a dark thought occurred to her. Picking up her phone, she responded to the group text.

"What about Marcel? Will you get rid of him?"

Klaus' response came back seconds later. "I can't yet."

Caroline immediately wrote back, "Why not?"

Klaus hung his head. He knew what he was doing. Why didn't they trust him? "He closed The Neighborhood, and he's given me access to his email. I need the intel to know who we can and cannot trust."

Caroline groaned. Why was it so hard for him to see what was right in front of him? She loved him, she did, and she'd always respected his leadership, but he was asking too much. With a resigned sigh, she wrote back, "Firing Cami solves nothing if none of us feel safe going to work. Please, I am begging you, end this. Tell Marcel to never come back. If he really is your friend, he will. I'll write the letter. Cami isn't a bad person. She can use her influence to stop this once and for all. If you want us to trust you, then you need to trust us. Please."

Hours later, the sun was falling over the Louisiana sky. Caroline idly wondered if it was the last time she'd ever see it. She waited with bated breath for the phone to ping. When it finally did, a rush of emotions overwhelmed her and she burst into heaving sobs.

Klaus: "Marcel has agreed to go quietly. He won't be reopening The Neighborhood. Get me the letter and I'll send it, if we're all in agreement."

Within seconds, all four of them responded that they agreed. Tears ran down her cheeks as she drafted a goodbye letter to a very good person. She'd never gotten close to Cami as she'd never completely trusted her. Caroline's greatest asset wasn't her dedication or intelligence; it was her intuition. Not a person had turned on them that she hadn't predicted well in advance. It was with a heavy heart that she wrote the letter and they all agreed on the content. They were angry, but Cami hurt herself enough on her own without them adding to it.

"Cami,

You have been an important part of this business, and of our lives. Unfortunately, the time has come for us to go our separate ways. The Neighborhood has closed. Marcel will not be returning. We parted as friends and I would like for us to do the same. You have been pulling back for months and have chosen to align yourself with people who have been cruel to you. It's a pattern in your life we hope you break. The fact is that we have a team who needs to feel safe, and they won't as long as we have any remaining ties to the past. We have decided, together, that this war is over. We will no longer be engaging or maintaining contact with those who have attacked what we have built. You are a good, kind, compassionate person. We have faith that you will do well in life and wish you nothing but the best. As your friends, we ask that you respect our decision and go with peace.

With love and respect,

The Complete Staff of White Oak Treatment Center"

It took the psychologist hours to finally send it, during which Caroline chewed her nails and seriously debating taking another Valium. Finally, Klaus sent a simple text. "It's done." The blonde's hands shook as she logged into their server and checked to see if Cami's email and access had really been shut down. It was true. Klaus had fired his close friend. He'd chosen his team. It meant more to her than she could possibly vocalize in a text. She curled her knees up to her chin as she thought about all that had happened. It was a lot to process. After a few minutes passed, her phone pinged again. It was yet another meme from Jules. A flag with the White Oak logo was held up by the soldiers of Iwo Gima. She couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Jules.

And thus the Great Internet War of 2020 ended. It was over. They had won.

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A/N That whole situation was such a clusterfuck, but I feel better getting it out. The next chapter will have smut. I separated it so as not to frighten away the friends on whom this story was based. Please let me know what you thought!


	5. I Will Always Choose You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Caroline make up the best way they know how.

A/N I separated this scene because it is entirely fiction. I did not hook up with my boss! This chapter is the smut we've all been waiting for. Enjoy!

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**I Will Always Choose You**

After the two long, grueling days since she'd seen him, Caroline finally left her room. She found Klaus sitting on the couch, his hands folded in his lap and eyes cast down. She didn't need him to tell her that he regretted everything that had led them to this moment; she knew. "Hey," she greeted softly, "can I sit with you?"

Klaus looked up at her and nodded. Her heart broke when she took in his disheveled appearance. He clearly hadn't shaved in days; the stress had gotten to him. It was easier to be mad at him when she didn't have to face him, didn't have to hear his voice. When she saw the vulnerability behind his red-rimmed topaz eyes, she wordlessly fell beside him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. He tugged her to his lap, burying his face in her golden curls as emotions coursed through him. _He'd almost lost her._ They'd had differing opinions before, but he'd never felt in danger of her leaving him. The thought of never having her storm into his office again chilled him to the bone. Losing Cami hurt, but losing Caroline would have been devastating.

For the first time, the therapist truly saw how much she meant to him. She'd been fighting back her feelings for him, and she just didn't want to do it anymore. She breathed in deeply, steeling her resolve as she inhaled his earthy scent. Pulling back, she gazed into his eyes, their mouths nearly touching. He felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest and had to force himself to be still, to let her come to him. Leaning down, she pressed her strawberry lips to his, his overgrown stubble tickling her cheeks. He pulled her tighter against his chest as his fingers wound in her hair, holding her close. His other hand rested on her waist, the tips of his nails drawing patterns just beneath her thin pink camisole. He licked gently at the seam of her lips, encouraging her to give him access. When she slightly parted them, his tongue explored every inch of her, savoring the taste. She nibbled at his lower lip, allowing his tongue to scrape over her teeth. She moaned when his nails snuck up the back of her shirt, his fingers dragging down her spine as she arched into him.

Klaus shifted them to press her down on the couch, his olive drab Henley flying behind the couch. The hard planes of his chest skated over her torso as his mouth crashed down on top of hers. Her arms wound around his neck, legs wrapping around his waist. His hand snaked up her torso and her nails lightly scraped his scalp. He kneaded and caressed her breasts, tweaking her nipples just enough to make her gasp. They kissed the breath out of their lungs until their chests were heaving.

Their foreheads touched together, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the desire reflected in his blown-out pupils. "Caroline..." His tone was deep and husky as he silently implored her for permission to keep going. He wanted her, but he'd held off on pushing too hard since they'd moved in together. He'd walked away once before; they both knew he wouldn't do it again.

A million emotions flowed through her as she considered her options. Klaus could be a real pain in the ass. He was moody and bossy and unsociable... and yet, he'd chosen her. Whatever lies she'd told herself about how it would never work flew out the window of their balcony as he stared down at her with hooded eyes that were almost completely black with desire. Despite how much he wanted her, and she could feel the evidence of that pressing against her thigh, she had no doubt that he _would_ stop if she said no. _But she didn't want to._ Leaning up to kiss him lightly, she whispered against his lips, "Take me to bed."

Klaus' eyes widened in surprise, but he wasted no time climbing off of her. She squeaked when he effortlessly scooped her up and rushed them to his bedroom, his mouth never leaving hers. His lips worked their way down to her neck. He suckled her pulse point, making her knees weak as they stood at the foot of his bed. His hands slowly, sensually lifted up her shirt, leaving her bare before him. His gruff stubble scratched her breast when he took a nipple in his mouth, nibbling it as she rubbed her thighs together in anticipation. He gently pushed her backwards onto the plush king-sized mattress, caging her in with his arms. He dragged his lips down her belly, peppering kisses across her smooth skin. He dragged his tongue from hip to hip, making her shiver as he worshipped her.

When he got to the waistband of her sweatpants, he looked up and held her gaze as he slowly eased them down her thighs. He nibbled his way up her legs, starting at her ankles. He dragged the very tips of his nails up her other leg before passing over her panties and continuing back down to her other ankle. She felt heat rise in her cheeks when he hooked his thumbs beneath her lacy black boyshorts and slowly rolled them down her shins. It was nothing he hadn't seen, but she still found herself flushing as he stared up at her in awe. His trail of kisses began again, his teeth sharply nipping at her as he feathered kisses all over her body. When he finally got to the apex of her thighs, he lightly blew at her opening, making her moan.

Caroline was hardly a virgin, but Klaus wasn't like the other men she'd been with. Klaus _made love_ to her like she was the only thing in his world. She was his sole focus when he held her eyes as he pressed a finger inside her hot core. She gripped the sheets as he moved in and out much too slowly. He gently licked her clit, enjoying the way she writhed beneath his sensual torment. His free hand reached up to play with her nipples, tugging at them and rolling them between his fingers. He carefully added a second finger as he swirled his tongue around her glistening pearl, making her shiver. He feasted on her like a man starved. After adding a third finger, he gradually increased his pace, eyes flicking up to hers as she watched with chest heaving, a gentle sheen of sweat appearing on her forehead and cheeks.

The sight of Klaus lapping at her with his focus solely on her was a heady rush. She involuntarily bucked against his fingers, encouraging him to go faster. He chuckled as he indulged her, sucking hard on her clit as he sped up. She felt a familiar tightening in her lower belly, the energy forming a coil that began to spread until it reached the tips of her fingers and toes. With a knowing smirk, he bit down on her slippery bud. With a shout, she came so hard that stars swan in her vision, her nails ripping at his hair as he helped her ride out her orgasm. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over her and Klaus pressed kissed up and down her folds until she stopped shaking. As soon as he pulled his hands away, she grieved the loss. Rising to his feet, he quickly slid his jeans and boxers down his legs and climbed back on top of her.

Caroline boldly reached down and stroked his thick shaft in a sensual rhythm as he positioned himself at her entrance. He leaned down and kissed her, tongue licking at the seam of her lips until she eagerly granted him access to her mouth. She continued to work him up and down until he gently pulled her hand away. "Look at me, Caroline," he whispered imploringly. She pulled back and looked up at him, taking in the sight of his dimples as he slowly pushed inside of her. She gasped as he filled her completely, her arms wrapping around his neck. He pulled her thighs around his waist, pushing in deeper as he moved in and out in slow, languid strokes, his eyes never leaving hers. Her lips parted as her breasts pressed into his chest; he memorized the sight of her, flushed and wanting beneath him. He'd wanted her for so long that having her felt like a dream. He did his best to control himself, but he could feel himself slipping with every breathy moan from her perfect strawberry lips.

Suddenly, he snapped his hips up as his mouth crashed down on top of hers. He tugged her lower lip down with his teeth, his hand coming up to massage her fleshy mounds. She met him thrust for thrust as they moved together. He tilted his body to change the angle, his pelvis grinding into her clit with every stroke. Their motions sped up until they broke their kiss, lungs aching for oxygen. His lips attached to her neck, tongue flicking up and down as his nails dragged down her belly. She felt the same tension building up as the pace increased, his thumb expertly circling her clit. She gripped him tightly with her legs, her heels digging into his back as they made love in a penthouse in Louisiana.

Klaus closed his eyes, their foreheads pressing together, as he savored the feeling of her walls squeezing his shaft. He moved in quick, deliberate thrusts and he stimulated her bundle of nerves over and over. Volts of electricity flowed between them as her core clamped down around him, a powerful orgasm ringing through her body. He pulled almost all the way out and slammed back in to the hilt, making her cry out his name before spilling his seed deep inside her. He continued moving in and out until they were both completely spent. He collapsed on top of her, his stubble rubbing against her mounds as he caught his breath, both of their bodies dewy with sweat.

After several minutes, he slid out of her, the slickness of their combined arousal trickling down her thighs. He rolled onto his back, tugging her to his chest. She happily curled up on top of him, his hands languidly stroking her back. For the first time in a long time, Caroline was truly happy. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you."

Klaus tilted his head to the side as he looked at her quizzically. "What for?"

A smile tugged at the corner of her puffy lips at his baffled expression. "For choosing us."

The psychologist looked down bashfully. She kissed his cheek, nuzzling into his neck. Her breathed in deeply, inhaling her sunshine scent, eyes closing as peace washed over him. When he finally replied, his voice was nearly a whisper. "I will _always_ choose you."

She believed him.

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A/N There you have it, folks. I hope I lived up to your expectations. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought!


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